Columbia Regional Airport will close its north parking area on Aug. 3 to begin construction on around 250 new paved spaces.
The airport is asking travelers who will return after Aug. 1 not to leave their vehicles in the future construction area. Those travelers should instead park in the south parking lot and take the free shuttle to the terminal.
“We are going to close the entire north section of the parking lot,” Airport Manager Mike Parks said. “As soon as you come down Airport Drive, it’ll be on your left-hand side as you enter the airport.”
A sign has been placed near the entrance to alert drivers about the upcoming closure.
Many of the existing spaces in the north area are gravel, making it
difficult for airport officials to determine the lot’s current capacity. Parks said the project will remove the gravel surfaces and pave the entire area.
City documents estimate the project will cost about $3.2 million and will be funded through the transportation sales tax.
The construction is scheduled to take 135 calendar days and be finished around early-December, although weather could affect the timeline. The north parking lot project is divided into two phases, and Parks said the airport expects most of the work to be finished before holiday travel increases.
Parks said January and February are typically the airport’s slowest months, but winter weather would make construction more difficult. He said the existing south parking lot and new shuttle service allow the airport to complete the project during better construction conditions while continuing to accommodate travelers.
The airport plans to extend the gravel area by approximately 200 additional spaces in the newly reopened south lot to offset the parking lost during the north lot construction. The south parking lot holds about 600 vehicles and Parks said between 450 and 500 vehicles use the lot on an average day.
The parking upgrades at COU come as the airport continues experiencing record passenger growth. The airport reported 19,584 departing passengers in June 2026, more than double the 9,294 departing passengers recorded in June 2025.
